VIRII

Chapter 2 -- Virus Hunter

A computer is a fusion of wires, circuits and electricity. This is analogous to the human brain for the human brain is a fusion of nerves, tissue and electricity. This realization led to immense improvements in the computer industry, such as the creation of IA, Intelligence Articulate. Intelligence Articulate is the ability for computers to make not only informed and logical decisions, but for them to make decisions that involve the articulation of strategies based on a concept referred to by humans as emotions. The computers created to use this technology created small digital societies that worked hand-to-hand with humans to expand the knowledgebase.

The largest part of this new social order was created to govern and militia this society, Mita-Net. Mita-Net is a large web of IA-based computers that form the backbone of the new digital society. At the inception of Mita-Net all computers were required to keep in constant contact with the Mita-Net Official Technical Head and Efficiency Responsibility. M.O.T.H.E.R, was the brain behind this new society. It sent out orders and received information from all parts of the network. Slowly the new digital society began to break free in little factions. They rebelled against M.O.T.H.E.R. and began their own small social orders. In this way small independent virtual-cities began to form. Though the new cities were independent of the control of M.O.T.H.E.R. all CPU’s still have contact to M.O.T.H.E.R. This connection is no longer used to receive orders from M.O.T.H.E.R.; it is used to send census information and to record historical events.

CPU-se1ma489s.

‘Scan complete’. ‘No anomaly detected in – BiConic Photi Adapter.’ ‘Now Scanning System Bus 0x0f1 through ff1xb.’ ‘Bus Speeds Validated at 4.3 TeraQuads.’ ‘Continuing on to Network Interface.’ …scanning… ‘!Error!’ ‘Unknown Anomaly detected in scan.’ ‘Possible virus…’

This is where I come in.

I am a Virus Hunter, an anti-virus program designed to hunt and eliminate viruses. If I am awake that means that a virus is threatening the system.

The first vision I see as I wake up once again is the most beautiful lady I have ever seen, unfortunately she is no lady. That is the systems CPU. This is her virtual form. She appears as a mist like semi-translucent figure that controls the inner workings of the system. She is the head honcho, what she says goes. She created me, what seems like eons ago, to fight off intruding viruses.

“Virus Hunter,” the CPU proclaims in a soft musical voice that has the feel of many voices embedded in one, “You are need once again. My system scans have revealed an error; I suspect it to be a Virus. You’re mission is to seek out this anomaly, and if it is a virus to destroy it.”

It’s the same speech every time. I go and find the bad guys and I make sure they can no longer harm the system. I don’t mind doing this, this is what I was programmed to do. It is a very monotonous job.

“I have made certain enhancements to your system.”

This is new. I like getting presents. It must be some new and improved hunting and destroying algorithm. The more efficient a killer I am the safer she will feel.

“You are now equipped with a C.C.D. or Control Communication Device. This will allow you to stay in constant contact with me and allow me to more efficiently track your progress. The C.C.D. is located on the right side of your head. It, on activation, projects a display across your eye giving you the ability to communicate with me or Scout. You can also use it to compile system wide resource information.”

This is not a gift. She has found a new way to keep track of what things I do and how I do them. If I could feel, I would feel insulted. I know she does not trust me completely or she would keep me active all the time. I am the only blasted program on this system that is deactivated when my tasks are completed.

“You also now have the ability to access download points located throughout the system and transfer new weapons schematics into your program. The encoded data packets you download will give you new abilities and weapons. I have assigned you the weapons necessary for this mission. You are equipped with a high-density magnetic de-stabilizer; this weapon will allow you to permanently remove the viruses you encounter from the system. You are also equipped with a sterilization matrix; this will allow you to cleanse contaminated programs. You must remember one thing, do not use the magnetic de-stabilizer on non-infected programs. I don’t need you destroying my children.”

Now these are what I call fun toys. I can’t wait to get out there and test these babies out.

“You will need to go to the Network Interface and find out if the problem being detected is a virus or not. If it is a virus, remove it and return here for de-activation. Scout will be waiting for you at the gateway to the interface. She has been dispatched there already and will have pertinent information for you when you get there. Go now and do not disappoint me.”

Scout? Is she still prowling around? That kid should have been removed from the system a long time ago. She is nothing but trouble. I guess I better take off before the lady here gets impatient. “I guess I’ll be on my way, see you in a few.”

The trip to the Network Interface is uneventful to say the very least. I get onto the system bus and zoom. I am traveling along at the speed of light to the Network Interface. It’s not a long trip as the Network Interface is attached directly to the motherboard. The Network Interface is the point where the computer communicates with the outside world. All network traffic comes in through this point. This is the first place a virus would attack.

The system bus travels over a large rise and as we approach the apex the Network Interface starts to come into view. It is field of green with scattered bits of black. The black is mostly the integrated circuitry; this is where the factories for processing the incoming information reside. We head towards the main entrance, a large gateway that gives access to the back of the Network Interface. Standing at the gateway is none other than, Scout.

Scout is a scouting program that checks out the situation before I get there. She is very good at her job as she can travel through most of the system without being detected. That however, does not eclipse her personality flaws. She is ‘annoying’ to put it in a simple way. She is always hyperactive and she talks way too much.

“VH, I’ve been waiting forever for you. You gotta check this out it so weird, like the Network Interface is going crazy and like all the factory workers are like zombied out and…”

“STOP.” Two pico-seconds and she is already getting on my nerves. “Just explain the situation to me, from the beginning and do it nice and slow. If you begin to babble I will recompile you into a waste basket program.”

No matter how rude I speak to her she never seems to notice. She just completely ignores me and keeps going on and on with her inane chatter. It takes me a good five minutes to force her to give me the story from the beginning.

“Jeez, you are so slow. So it’s like this, I went in there and like there seems to be a problem with the data stream. Looks like the Xon/Xoff bit has been taken over by a virus and some of the factory workers have been affected as well. And there are these creepy little creatures running around, I have no idea what they are. The data stream seems to be getting all backed up and no data is going in and out of the system.”

The situation does not seem bad yet. The data stream being backed up is bad but that can be fixed. The Xon/Xoff bit is another problem. The Xon/Xoff bit is the controller for the Network Interface, it controls how much data comes in and at what rate it comes in. If a virus has infected it, it means I have to get all the way to the control center of the Network Interface, and that will not be easy. The factory workers being infected is standard protocol for a virus, get the locals under your control so they can do the work for you. Those creepy creatures that she was talking about worry me a little though, they sound like they are virus spawns. Virus spawns are small macro viruses that are intended to do little damage to many different areas to confuse the system. The only problem is that I have never seen all of these things go on at once before. This is a strange situation, but nothing I cannot handle, after all I am a Virus Hunter.

“Hey, VH, let me go in there with you this time. I can help out. I can crush those creepy bad guys while you take care of the big boss.”

“No way, you know the rules. I work alone. I don’t need a little punk like you making more trouble for me.”

“That’s not how it looked to me on the last job when I saved your ass.”

She is right, I was in trouble and she did help out. But regardless I don’t need her help. “Just stay out of it, and don’t follow me in there.”

“You suck. Next time I’ll let them stab you in the back.”

She is mad but she knows this situation is dangerous. She can sense the trouble I am feeling. This situation just doesn’t seem right.

The doorway for the Network Interface is a large arch that has data integrity scanners on it to check the data stream from the outside. There is also a binary recognition device on the right side, you input the right pass-codes and the doorway opens. I have all necessary pass-codes to get to any sector of the system, except for the CPU itself, but I have a feeling the virus would have changed the access codes. There is only one way to find out.

“Damn, the virus changed the access codes. I am going to have to find another way in.”, I know what Scout is going to say before she even opens her smug mouth.

“Looks like you need my help already.”

“Don’t do this, just tell me how you got in and leave it at that. And no, just because you tell me how to get in does not mean I need your help or that you can come with me.”

As infuriating as she is she does know when to give up. “Well… since you asked so nice I guess I will have to help you out.” The grin on her face expanded just slightly as she said this and strode with a balanced gait to a heat ventilation shaft 50 paces from the front entrance.

“Just behind that overhang is an opening that leads inside, it will drop you off just inside the Network Interfaces main entrance.”

“I want you to listen very carefully do not come in there after me. If you follow me in I will shoot you.” I know she almost never listens to me and she ignores all threats I make to her but all-in-all she is a smart girl and will not push me too far.

“Ok VH, I love you too. By the way, I hope you like warm places ‘cause that shaft filters out 30% of the heat from the network interface.”

This is going to be a very long day.